All these eight Path
Factors are present in the "Supramundane Purification by Knowledge
and Vision" (lokuttara-nànadassana-visuddhi). In the
preceding mundane Purifications, Right Speech, Right Action and Right
Liveli-hood are present only in the Purification of Virtue (sìla-visuddhi).
They are not present in Purification of Mind (citta-visuddhi) and
the rest.

Hence, in the context of
the Requisites of Enlightenment (bodhipakkhiya-dhamma), Purification
of Virtue (sìla-visuddhi) is of the nature "dependent on
detachment" (viveka-nissita), etc., in accordance with the
following text (from the Magganga Vibhanga):

"He develops Right
Speech, dependent on detachment, dependent on absence of lust, dependent
on cessation, culminating in relinquishment.He develops Right
Action ... Right Livelihood, dependent on detachment..."

It does not refer to virtue
(sìla) that has leanings towards happy forms of existence (bhava-sampatti)
and depends on the round of rebirths (vatta-nissita). The sìla-visuddhi
of those who have consciously given up attempts at attaining the
Holy Paths and Fruits in this life, is not genuine àdibrahmacariyaka-sìla,
"'Virtue belonging to the essence of the Holy Life", and
thus is not of the genuine bodhipakkhiya class.If effort
be made, however, towards the attainment of Nibbàna in the next life,
it can be pàrami-sìla, which is part of vivattanissita sìla
"Virtue tending towards the ending of the round of
rebirths".

The Path factors of Right
Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood are purely of the class of
Morality (sìlakkhandha) and hence constitute genuine Perfection
of Virtue.They are also called the three virati-cetasikà, mental
factors of (vocal and bodily) abstention.

Right Thought (sammà-sankappa)
is the mental factor "Thought-conception" (vitakka
cetasika). As it is the harbinger of Wisdom, it is included in the
Wisdom category (pannàkkhandha) of the Eightfold Path.It
is threefold, namely: thoughts of renunciation, of non-hate and
non-harming (nekkhamma-, abyàpàda-, and avihimsà-sankappa).
Just as a person incarcerated in prison or besieged by enemy troops
or encircled by forest fire, or as a fish caught in a net, tank or trap,
or a bird caught in a cage, will be absorbed (without being able to
sleep or eat) in the one thought how to escape from these confinements,
so are the attempts of persons who contrive with energy of the sammappadhàna-typeto escape from the confinement of the old and infinitely numerous,
unwholesome kamma arisen in the past, (uppanna akusalakamma) and
the new infinitely numerous "unwholesome kamma not yet
arisen", (anuppanna akusala kamma) that is bound to arise in
the future.The thoughts of such a person are the Path factor
"Thoughts of Renunciation" (nekkhammasankappa
magganga). It is the sort of Thought (sankappa) which looks
for the way to escape from the sufferings of the round of rebirths (vatta-dukkha).

The Thought that associates
with Mettà Jhàna is called abyàpàda-sankappa,"'the
thought of non-hate"; if associated with Karunà Jhàna it is
called avihimsà-sankappa, "the thought of
non-harming".The thought that associates with the remaining
Jhànas is called "Thought of Renunciation".

The four Path Factors of
Right View, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration have
been dealt with in the Chapter on the Enlightenment Factors.

The àjìvatthamaka-sìla
(see Note 2, page 12) that is taken and observed with the purpose of
destroying the great kingdom of ditthi anusaya (proclivity to
wrong views) belongs to the Path factors of the mundane Morality
category (lokiyasìlakkhandha magganga). It is also
Purification of Virtue.

That eightfold virtue
ending with Right Livelihood (àjivatthamaka-sìla) is twofold:
for layfolk and for monks.Abstention from the threefold evil
conduct in deeds (kàya-duccarita) and fourfold in words (vacì-duccarita)
comprise that virtue for layfolk.The eight or ten Precepts
[1] are refinements of that virtue.

For monks, that Virtue is
constituted by the observance of the 227 Vinaya rules, which cover
bodily and vocal Kamma.The remaining rules laid down in the
Vinaya Pitaka are refinements of it.

Just as trees grow in the
soil, so the last six Purifications beginning with Purification of Mind,
develop in the soil of the first, the Purification of Virtue (sìla-visuddhi).
In particular, the Purification of Virtue does not mix with the five
middle (Mundane) Purifications, but supports them by securing antecedent
purity.In the case of the seventh Purification, the supramundane
Purification of Knowledge and Vision, the Purification of Virtue
operates in conjunction with it, being identical with the three
constituents of the Morality Group (sìlakkhandha) of the
(supramundane) Eightfold Path.The reason is that, in the case of
the Purification of Virtue, the objects of attention are different from
those of the five middle Purifications; but they are identical with
those of the supramundane Purification, operating together with it as
co-existent (saha-jàta).

This ends the explanation
of the Sìla category of the Path Factors.

With reference to the
Samàdhi category of the Path, there are two courses of action.Firstly,
the way of one who practises pure Insight only (suddha-vipassanà-yànika).
He, after fulfilling Purity of Virtue and setting up mindful Body
Contemplation, does not follow the way of Tranquillity (samatha) but
the way of Pure Insight such as Purification of View, etc.Secondly,
there is the course of one who practises both Tranquillity and Insight (samatha-vipassanà-yànika).
He, after attaining the first Jhàna etc., takes up the practice of
Insight, by way of Purification of View, etc.

Of these two,

(1) in the practice of Pure
Insight, the three Path Factors of the Concentration category (samàdhikkhandha)
fulfill the functions of Tranquillity and Purification of Mind (citta-visuddhi),
through the three kinds of Concentration known as Emptiness
Concentration, Conditionless and Desireless Concentration.

(2) In the practice of
Tranquillity followed by Insight, the three Path Factors of the
Concentration category fulfill the functions of Tranquillity and
Purification of Mind, by way of the three stages of Concentration,
namely Preparatory Concentration (parikamma samàdhi), Access
Concentration (upacàra-samàdhi) and Full Concentration (appanà-samàdhi);
and thereafter, at the Insight stage, the above two functions are
fulfilled by Emptiness Concentration, etc.

During the period of the
preceding practice of Purity of Virtue and of mindful Body
Contemplation, however, the three constituents of the Concentration
category fulfil the functions of Momentary Concentration (khanika-samàdhi).

This ends the explanation
of the Samàdhi category.

The two constituents of the
Wisdom category fulfil the functions of Wisdom in the ways of both the
practice of Pure Insight and that preceded by Tranquillity, after the
setting up of the Purification of Virtue and of mindful Body
Contemplation.These remarks apply to both the mundane and the
supramundane Path Factors.

Stream-entry (sotàpatti)

I shall now show the Path
of Stream-entry (sotàpatti-magga) in the Supramundane Path
Factors.It should be remembered that this book is aimed at the
lowest of the stages of Sanctity, namely the "Bon-sin-san"
sukkha-vipassakasotàpanna (see Note 1, page 55).At
the present time there are countless numbers of beings such as
Visàkhà, Anàthapindika, Sakka the Ruler of Devas, the four Divine
Great Kings (càtummahàràjika-deva) etc., who still continue to
derive pleasure and ease within the round of rebirths, inhabiting their
respective celestial abodes.They are beings who have before them
seven more rebirths in the Sense-desire worlds (including the lower
celestial worlds of the Sense Sphere) and one rebirth each in the six
worlds on the level of the Fourth Jhàna or the Vehapphala Brahma
worlds.The number of births in the Brahma worlds of the first,
second and third Jhàna is undetermined.

Why are they called
Stream-enterer (sotàpanna)? The five great rivers and the five
hundred lesser ones that have their source in the Himalayas, do not flow
up, but flow continuously down to the great ocean.Hence they are
called sota (stream or current).Similarly, Noble Ones (ariya)
do not fall back to the state of Worldlings (puthujjana) but
proceed continuously (as ariyas) until they attain Anupàdisesa
Nibbàna (where there is no remainder of the Aggregates of existence).In the case of the puthujjanas, although they may attain
rebirth in the highest celestial worlds, they possess still the
liability to be reborn in the lowest avìci hell.But in
the case of Ariyas, wherever they may be reborn, they do not fall
into the lower worlds of misery, but possess a continuous tendency of
being reborn in a higher world.Though Worldlings may attain the
state of tihetuka brahmas [2] in the fine-material (rùpa) or
non-material (arùpa) worlds, they still possess the liability of
being reborn in an unhappy form of existence (duggati) as
ahetuka [3] creatures such as dogs or pigs.

Whether it be the place of
rebirth or the status attained in each rebirth, Noble Ones (ariya) do
not regress, but proceed higher and higher from one world to the next,
or from one status to another, until after many rebirths and many worlds
have passed, they reach the highest worlds and the highest status, when
they discard the five Aggregates entirely and attain to
Anupàdisesa-Nibbàna.The process by which this straight path of
ascent is traversed is called dhammasota, the Stream of Dhamma.It comprises the Stream of Right View (sammà-ditthi-sota), the
Stream of Right Thought (sammà-sankappa-sota) and so forth up tothe Stream of Right Concentration (sammà-samàdhi-sota).

The "Stream of Right
View" means the establish-ment of the great realm of Right View (sammà-ditthi)
where the light of the Four Noble Truths can be clearly perceived.This
great realm of Right View is established by replacing the great
anusaya plane of Sakkàya-ditthi, the proclivity for
Personality-belief.

This resembles the rising
of the sun after the night is over, when darkness is dispelled and light
is established.In the same way the great kingdom of light of
Right View remains established throughout many lives and many
world-cycles until the attainment of Anupàdisesa-Nibbàna.This
light increases and becomes more and more firmly established from one
rebirth to another.

It also resembles a person
born blind due to cataracts covering both his eyes, who, on receiving
good treatment, is cured of the cataract and gains sight.From
the moment the cataract disappears, the view of the earth, the
mountains, the sky with sun, moon and stars, etc., is opened to him and
remains so throughout his life.Similarly, the Noble
Stream-winners (sotàpanna ariya) gain the view of the three
characteristics of existence (ti-lakkhana) and of the Four Noble
Truths (and do not lose it).

This is how the Path Factor
"Right View" is firmly established.

The canonical text says:
[4]

Sammà-ditthassa
sammà-sankappo pahoti. [5]"In him who has Right View, Right Thought progresses."

According to this, if Right
View is established, also Right Thought, which consists of intention and
plan to escape from worldly ills (nekkhamma) and to protect
others from harm and suffering, becomes established and thrives from one
rebirth to another until the attainment of the final goal.This
is how Right Thought is established.

Sammà-sankappassa sammà
vacà pahoti.

If the intention and plan
to escape from worldly ills and to see others happy and unharmed, is
established, there will be Right Speech free from the four faults (the vacì-duccarita)
and this will become progressively established.This is how Right
Speech is established.

Sammà-vàcassa
sammà-kammanto pahoti.

If speech from verbal
misconduct is established, the acts will be free from the threefold
bodily misconduct (kàya-duccarita) and this will become
progressively established.This is how Right Action is
established.

Sammà-kammantassa
sammà-àjìvo pahoti.

When views, intentions,
speech and acts become pure, the forms of livelihood will also be pure
and one will never resort to low and base forms of livelihood.This
is how Right Livelihood is established.

Sammà-àjìvassa
sammà-vàyàmo pahoti.

When views, intentions,
speech, acts and livelihood become pure, energy and effort of a kind
that is never devoted tomisconduct or wrong livelihood becomes
permanently established.This is how Right Effort is established.

Sammà-vàyàmassa
sammà-sati pahoti.

Similarly, Right
Mindfulness that has its root in the efforts for Morality, Concentration
and Wisdom, becomes firmly established from one rebirth to another.This
is how Right Mindfulness is established.

Sammà-satissa
sammà-samàdhi pahoti.

In the same way also Right
Concentration becomes permanently established, which is rooted in
mindful attention to the work of Morality, Concentration and Wisdom, and
thus become endowed with a great control over the mind.This is
how Right Concentration is established.

It is in this way that the
eight Path Factors (magganga), called Dhamma streams (dhamma-sota),
become progressively established throughout many lives and many
worlds, from the moment a being attains the stage of a Stream-winner (sotàpanna)
until he finally attains Anupàdisesa-Nibbàna.

Although from the moment
when Body Contemplation is set up there is such progress as has been
shown earlier, yet so long as the state of Stability (or constancy of
progress; niyàma) is not reached, that being is notas
yet a Noble One (ariya). It is the Path of Stream-entry (sotàpatti
magga) that is the starting point of the ariya-sota, the Holy
Stream.As soon as beings reach the Path of Stream-entry, they
enter the domain of the Noble Ones.Hence it is said:

Sotam àdito Pajjimsu
pàpunimsù' ti sotàpannà.

"They are called
Stream-enterers as they enter or reach the Holy Stream for the first
time."

This ends our answer to the
question, "Why are they called Sotàpannas?"

As soon as beings reach the
stage of Noble Ones, they transcend the state of Worldlings
(puthujjana). They are no longer beings of the "world",
the Mundane, but have become beings of the Supramundane (lokuttara). They
are no longer committed to the sufferings of the round of rebirths (vattadukkha),
having become "beings of Nibbàna".Throughout the
series of many existences that may still be before them, they will never
fall back from the first stage of their realization of Nibbàna, which
they have achieved as Stream-winners.They are no longer liable
to return to the anusaya plane of Sakkàya-ditthi, the
proclivity for Personality Belief, or to the state of Wordlings.They
are firmly established on the first stage of Sa-upàdisesa-Nibbàna, the
Nibbàna realised during life-time, and will, during their remaining
existences, enjoy at will the happiness of humans, devas and Brahmàs.

These eight Path Factors
occur simultaneously to these Noble Ones only at the instant of their
attaimnent of a Path or a Fruition (i.e. in supramundane consciousness).Where, however, mundane wholesome volitional acts (lokiya-kusalakamma)
are concerned, the three constituents of the Sìla category
associate only with sìla-kusala-kamma. But the three
constituents of the Samàdhi category and the two of the Pannà category
associate with many kinds of kusala
kamma.

Although the three Path
Factors of the Sìla category associate only with sìla-kusala-kamma,
they are firmly established in Noble Ones as
"non-contravention" (avitikkama) throughout their
remaining lives.

This ends the explanation
of the eight Path Factors.

The "pure
phenomena" (sobhana cetasika) involved in the 37 Bodhipakkhiya-dhamma,
are 14, namely: